Anyone own this rod in a 8 wt. I'm interested in this rod, but have only see ads for it, no first hand knowledge of the rod. I broke my Saint Croix elite 8 wt. this past wk. (freak accident :eek: :( ) If the repairs are costly will consider getting this sage.

BigDave

06-17-2005 09:54 AM

I have the 9 and the 10. Faster and lighter in the hand than RPLXi, but plenty of backbone for vertical lifting. Oversized guides and reel seat designed for the salt-chuck. 4pc is nice for travel.

The best thing about the rod is you can really feel it load. No need to overline, even with a floater. IMHO the best SW rod on the market :devil:

jjonas

06-20-2005 08:50 AM

I own an 8 wt. Xi2s. Fast powerful rod that can handle the distance but also has good touch through out the stroke. I just got back from a bonefish trip and was very pleased with this rod’s performance in terms of accuracy and feathering the fly to some spooky bones. I know there are some “value” rods out there at half the price that will perform nearly as well, but that little bit of added performance is nothing but pure sweetness. The rod met and exceeded my expectations.

petevicar

06-20-2005 02:25 PM

I have a 9wt which I used in the Cape a couple of weeks ago. It worked brilliantly with the Orvis 300 grain Depth Charge line.
Compared to other rods that I use (Orvis T3) it has a more middle to tip action but has a lot of backbone when playing fish. It is beautifully finished and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

Pete

Count

06-20-2005 02:56 PM

I have the Xi2 in an 8-weight and it's a fine rod. I like the fact that it's a four-piece, and I like the action a bit better than the softer RPLXi, though don't find it to be any smoother than its predecessor. I also liked the RPLXi's braced stripping guides better than the new, low-profile jobs. It's a very capable rod, but I like the Winston Boron IIx and the Loomis GLX Crosscurrent better. The Loomis is more powerful and faster than the Sage, and the Winston has much more feel and is more enjoyable to use.

You may prefer something completely different, so try to cast it before you buy.